Police enter classroom with guns drawn during lockdown at Hillsboro school

by KATU Staff

A still image from cellphone video shows Hillsboro police entering a classroom at Liberty High School with guns drawn. (Image: Christian Moreno)

HILLSBORO, Ore. —

Officers burst into a classroom at Liberty High School with their guns raised on Monday, and the Hillsboro School District and police officials are defending how law enforcement responded to reports of a potentially violent situation.

No one was injured in the incident and no weapon was found, officials said.

The school was placed on lockdown Monday morning after a “potential altercation between two students,” Liberty HS Principal Greg Timmons said in a letter to parents.

Video of officers entering the classroom has been circulating on social media.

A freshman, Christian Moreno, took the short video.

"(Police) banged on the door. My sub opened the door. They told us to put our hands up," Moreno told KATU News.

Moreno said there was an argument between students, and at some point, a student said they had a gun.

Reports say a student texted their parent, who in turn called police. The school went into a precautionary lockdown for about 20 minutes as officers went to the math class where the students were located.

Police entered the classroom with their guns drawn.

Officials said that is “standard procedure” when the presence of weapons is unknown.

"As soon as officers determined there wasn't a threat, there wasn't a gun, the weapons went away and we tried to get out of that classroom as quickly as we could to minimize the interference in the lives of the students," said Hillsboro Police Sgt. Eric Bunday.

Principal Timmons said the video Moreno took could be “frightening to see.”

“Students have been encouraged not to share this video on social media because of the potential for it to be taken out of context and for it to generate rumors,” Principal Timmons said in an email to parents.

Moreno wanted to talk with KATU News to set the record straight about what happened in his class. He said he did not feel unsafe with the officers.

"I think people shouldn't blow it out of proportion. It was a big deal, but there was nothing found," he said.

He said the school will be offering support to students in the classroom and to any other students who need additional support.

"We are much happier to react to something that turns out to be nothing than for someone to not say something, and we don't have the opportunity to intervene," said Beth Graser of Hillsboro School District.